World War 2

19391939-1945

Some Causes of WW2

World War 1
The Treaty of Versailles
The Weimar Republic
The League of Nations
The Great Depression
Rise of the Nazi Party

Cause No. 1 WW1

Germany entered the war after its ally, AustriaHungary declared war on Serbia.
By late 1917, finances were focused on German
soldiers as civilians were forced to live in
poverty.
German people and indeed, soldiers wanted an
end to the war.
The defeat in the war left Germany with 2
million dead, poverty-stricken and
humiliated.

Cause No. 2 The Treaty of

Versailles
Germany were to be punished for their role in
WW1.
Treaty reduced army to 100,000.
Union with Austria was forbidden.
Land lost to France and Poland.
Germany had to pay compensation of 8.4
million to their opponents.
War Guilt Clause They would have to accept
blame for starting the war.
Germany humiliated by this Treaty. Left them
further in debt.

Germany Before and After WW1

Cause No. 3 The Weimar

Republic
After Versailles, a democratic government was
set up in Germany.
The new Republic called the Weimar
Republic as it was set up in the town of Weimar
had numerous weaknesses.
Its leaders were neither strong nor popular and
were blamed for WW1.
People were poor and unhappy and Versailles
Treaty meant there was little hope.
Government were spending all the money trying
to pay compensation for WW1.
Peoples living standards were very poor. They
felt their government didnt care.

Cause No. 4 League of Nations

Set up after WW1 to establish peace and
international co-operation (help).
Big problems set in:
USA did not join it.
It moved slowly in making decisions.
Had no army to enforce decisions.
Many countries didnt treat it seriously.
Japan, Italy and Germany ignored it.
Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931. L.O.N. too
weak to stop them. Seen as irrelevant.
If the L.O.N. had been stronger, would Hitler
have developed his plan so quickly?

Cause No. 5 The Great

Depression
Through the Treaty of Versailles, Germany were
paying huge sums in compensation for WW1.
German Economy began to recover with help of
American loans.
Oct 1929 The Wall Street Crash America
withdraws loans from Germany.
Factories and businesses close.
Unemployment rises from 1m (1929) to 6m
(1932).
Government of Weimar begins to collapse.
People want hope and inspiration. Enter a
political party that offers that hope of a New
Germany.

Cause No. 6 Rise of the Nazi

Party Part 1
Right-wing German Workers Party set up in 1920.
Main policies are anti-semitic, anti-establishment,
anti-liberalism
Hitler joined in 1921. Party changed name to National
Socialist German Workers Party (NSGWP) or Nazi for
short.
Hitler spoke mainly on two subjects anti-Semitism and
anti-Treaty of Versailles.
Number in party increased heavily in 1922 as people
supported their anti-liberal policy and unemployed men
joined in huge numbers.
Promise of rebuilding Germany and make it strong
appealed to people.
In Italy, a party not unlike the Nazi Party National
Fascist Party came to power.

Mussolinis National Fascist Party in Italy represented a

change in thinking among many people in Europe.

Cause No. 6 Rise of the Nazi

Party Part 2
In 1925, Hitler became leader of the Nazi party.
He wanted to achieve power by democratic
means and then establish a dictatorship just
like Mussolini.
He established two military groups the SA and
the SS.
SA (Brownshirts) numbered 400,000 by 1932.
SS (Blackshirts) acted as Hitlers bodyguards.

The 2 military group

uniforms: The SA
(above) and the SS
(right)

Nazi Propaganda
Colours black
swastika represents
Aryan strength, white
represents white
supremacy and the
red represents
socialism.
Worn as a armband
by all Nazi soldiers
and supporters.

Hitlers Orations
Hitlers speeches were very popular and
German people admired them as they
spoke to the problems they had.
100,000s attended the rallies as the Nazi
party grew dramatically in support from
1928 onwards.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80lLU5-yji8&feature=related

Hitler In Power
1928 Nazis win 12 seats.
1932 Nazis win 230 seats.
Hitler appointed Prime Minister on Jan 30th,
1933.
Hitler immediately calls an election.
SA and SS beat up and kill opponents.
Enabling Law allows Hitler to pass law by
himself.
All other political parties BANNED.

Germany now a dictatorship.

Hitler turns on SA and all leaders of the SA are
killed by the SS.

Hitler In Power
Aug 1934, President Hindenburg dies.
Hitler combines roles of President and PM
under the title, Der Fuhrer (The Leader).
Hitler began rebuilding economy. Battle to
Work scheme brought unemployment
down from 6 million to 0.
Germany began to rearm itself.

Hitler and the Jews

Hitler saw that the German people were a racially pure
race and it must be kept clean.
He thus claimed no Jew could be a member of the
German nation.
Jews were banned from universities, civil service ect.
Also, they were made to wear the Star of David to
identify themselves.
Nuremburg Laws 1935 Jews not allowed German
citizenship. Marriage between Jews and non-Jews
banned.
Kristalnacht Jewish business and synagogues burned
down. 30,000 Jews sent to concentration camps.
By 1939, half of Germanys 60,000 Jews had to
emigrate.

Jewish men wearing the Star of David in 1936.

Lebensraum
Hitler wanted to regain land lost as a result of
Treaty of Versailles.
1936 overtook Austria.
1938 Hitler demanded return of Sudetenland
German speaking part of Czechoslovakia. War
between both countries looked likely.
A conference was called between Britain,
France, Germany and Italy in Munich to sort it
out.

British Prime Minister shakes hands with Hitler before

the Munich Conference in 1938.

Munich Conference
The leaders agree to force
Czechoslovakia to hand over the
territory to Germany.
Hitler assures the other leaders he has no
further demands for land.
Britain are happy with Hitlers response
and Hitler signs the document.
Chamberlain returns to Britain claiming he
has achieved peace in our time.

We have achieved peace in our time

Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister

Hitler Advances
Hitler had little intention of keeping his word.
March 1939 Hitler takes all of Czechoslovakia.
Made a deal with Russia promising he wouldnt invade.
(He tried to in 1941).
Poland was last piece of land taken from Germany in
Versailles that Hitler hadnt taken back.
Britain and France promised they would go up against
Germany if they invaded Poland.
Sept 3rd, 1939. Germany refuses to halt advance to
Poland.
Britain and France declare war on Germany.

World War 2 had begun .

German soldiers invading Poland September 1939.

Follow On Questions Part 1

1 What happened during WW1 that may
have led to WW2?
2 What about the Treaty of Versailles
infuriated the German people?
3 What might the League of Nations
have done better to preventing Germany
falling under the spell of the Nazi party?
4 What mistakes did Britain make in their
approach to Hitler?

Follow On Questions Part 2

A Which, do you think of the terms of the Versailles
Treaty, the downturn in the German Economy, WW1, the
failure of the Weimar Republic and the League of
Nations was the biggest contributor to what followed in
the Nazis obtaining power?
B How were the methods used by Hitler so effective in
obtaining power?
C What means could have been used to prevent Hitler
taking Poland in September 1939?
D Describe what you think life was like for British
civilians on the day they heard the war had begun?

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